2021 DIY Kitchen Round Up
Home renovation can be a daunting task but for some, it’s the perfect opportunity to hone those DIY skills and create a space that is the perfect reflection of individual style and interior design.
As the heart of the home, the kitchen is central to everyday living. We look back on some of the inspirational DIY kitchens that we have been lucky enough to work on this year.
Libby Giles’s Retro Inspired Kitchen
The devil is in the detail when it comes to interior design and home renovation, and nothing is more accurate than in Libby Giles’ Auckland kitchen where a room transformation has occurred.
Libby designed and planned her kitchen before coming to Cutshop® Mt Wellington to have her ideal kitchen cut out. Her brief was simple; she wanted a more open and roomier space with plenty of light, which gave the nod to the 1970s in style, colour and eclectic charm.
Her previous kitchen lacked the space Libby was craving for and didn’t allow for much light to fill the room. So with this in mind, Libby chose colours that added to the much-desired light whilst also creating depth and warmth to the area and fashioned the eclectic look she was looking for by making the drawers two-toned between natural ply and yellow.
The kitchen cabinetry was designed to run around the room’s edge, leaving the centre free to house a large dining table perfect for dinners with friends and family.
Libby Giles 1970s inspired kitchen
Andy Prior’s Kitchen Do-up
For Andy Prior and his wife Julie, renovating their dated kitchen was a dream come true. The original kitchen, built back in 2000, had features such as a roller shutter cabinet and several fussy glass fronted cabinets that didn’t provide the functionality that Andy and Julie needed. Lacking essential storage, their aim was to increase space and update the look.
Initially, Andy and Julie thought of simply getting the kitchen cabinets sprayed, updating the Olive Green kitchen for a more modern colour whilst also adding a couple more cabinets to get the extra space. They received a quote which, although pricey, they decided to go with. However, for Andy there was a nagging voice in the back of his head saying that they weren’t doing the right thing.
At the last minute Andy did some research and came across Cutshop® and after a meeting with the team at Cutshop® North Shore discovered that they could replace all the doors plus add extra cupboards that replaced the oven tower for a price that was cheaper than spraying.
Being minimalists and inspired by European living after living there for years, Andy and Julie loved the look of sharp clean lines and a clutter free as possible bench top.
“I cannot praise these guys highly enough for their guidance and help on design, their speed, and their support, in a word their professionalism. I had a hiccup which was out of the control of The Cut Shop and they saw it through and kept on at the supplier until it was resolved, they bent over backwards to make sure it was sorted. I always say the measure of a company is how it conducts itself when things go wrong and these guys nailed it for service, I couldn’t fault them”
Bernd Wessel’s Fridge-centred Kitchen
For years Client Bernd Wessel had wanted to get a bigger fridge but lacked the space. While the kitchen was mostly renovated, the pantry and fridge side was still the original 1980s framed up box.
So the decision was made to take down the complete framing and build a modern brand new pantry and fridge in a straight clean line. Since standard size cabinets would not have achieved a seamless fit, custom made cabinetry was the only way to go.
A friend recommended Cutshop® as an option to enquire. We worked with Bernd to transform his vision into a concrete plan and even implemented the trickier bits which hadn’t been considered before.
For Bernd, Cutshop® had all the knowledge and experience that he was lacking and we made sure that everything was right. Offering advice for the exactly right materials and finishings that Bernd was looking for.
Bernd Wessel’s kitchen was designed to fit around a new double-door fridge.
“Plan properly and take the Cutshop® expert advice into serious consideration. Especially if you are like us, not experienced builders, trust the Cutshop® expert. Also measure, measure and measure again. ”
Ben Thomson’s Dream DIY Kitchen
Kitchen designs are often a reflection of the setting in which the home is located or represents the personalities and style of the people who design them. And Sometimes they are both. For client Ben Thomson and his family they wanted to create a kitchen that was interesting, bold and unique made from quality materials.
Ben started laying out some ideas with a friend and spent a lot of time thinking about how we would cook and live in the space. They wanted to minimise walking a big distance in the ‘galley style’ space and also allow the space to interact with the dining room and deck area.
These ideas revealed that they had some spare or undefined space and consequently incorporated a coffee station with its own sink for cleaning.
For Ben it was important to get the right material that was solid and long lasting. Choosing carcass grade ply for the cabinet frames that was then picture framed with an exposed edge ply, a look that Ben particularly liked. A HPL Ply was chosen for all the doors and drawer fronts in part because the ply is hard wearing but also because they really liked the denim colour they could choose.
Cutshop® was recommended to Ben by his sister, an architect. He liked the idea of being able to build the kitchen himself, partly for the satisfaction but also enjoyed being able to achieve a result of a much more expensive kitchen but paying much less for it.
“I have already recommended Cutshop® to my friends as I was so pleased with the experience and the outcome. Before starting there was a touch of anxiety about being able to get a result that I would be happy with but Cutshop® system and cutting is so good, its hard to build a wonky cabinet”
For those looking at kitchen renovation for 2022, don’t be afraid to design it your way. Cutshop® can provide you with so much more than precision cut cabinetry, but will also offer advice, expert knowledge, a range of cabinet materials to ensure that your perfect kitchen is exactly that - perfect! Get in touch today to find out more.
